


the end (of the beginning)

by KittenAnarchy



Category: At the Tale's End (Video Game), Original Work
Genre: Gen, Suicide Attempt, bc the humans in this can die when they touch ocean water, i implore you to read it, otherwise you'll be lost, this fandom has n o t h i n g, though it's kinda unconventional, you have to watch/play the game first tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-24 20:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14363337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittenAnarchy/pseuds/KittenAnarchy
Summary: It's no happily ever-after, but they make do.





	the end (of the beginning)

“Brane?” Harty’s voice stabs him with a hint of nostalgia. Judging by the book’s slightly widened eye, they weren’t supposed to be at the sea with him. He turned around, despite the book’s judgement, and stared at them.  
  
“How’d you find me?” His voice, hoarse from disuse, is quiet against the crashing waves of the beach. Nurv, one of his allies - one of the many he has forgotten - stares at the water that barely touches his boots.  
  
“Brane.” Nurv’s voice is soothing. Brane could listen to it all day. “Please step away from the edge of the ocean.” 

Why would he want to do that? Brane stares the priest down, one tired purple eye blinking close. Brane edges closer to the water. He can barely hear Phoelin’s quick intake of breath over the crash of the waves on the shore.   
  
“Brane.” The thief’s voice calls out to him, voice tight. Harty was probably holding the older girl back from pummeling him into the ground. “Do what Nurv said. Step away from the edge.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” Brane fiddled with his eye-patch.  
  
“We will,” Harty quietly promised. “I just…just step away from the sea. Please.”  
  
“You shouldn’t listen to them.” The Black Book, who had been strangely quiet as the ex-heroes talked, finally spoke up. The other three stared at the animated book. Phoelin opened her mouth to speak, but Brane beat her to it.  
  
“Why not?”   
  
“You don’t even really ‘know’ them.” The book turned towards the others. “He doesn’t remember anything, you know. His head’s as blank as his expressions.”  
  
“Real funny,” Brane said flatly, ignoring the gasps from the others. He should probably go into the sea now, but the book wasn’t going to get the last laugh.  
  
“This coming from the guy who was about to kill himself?” The book let out a snort? Brane wasn’t even sure at this point- “Yeah, I’ll pass. Your sense of humor is as screwed up as your eye.”   
  
“Can I just interject into this conversation for a second?” Brane had forgotten Harty was even here, with how quiet she was being. “How about we have this talk about you and your memories, er, the lack of them, anyway.”  
  
“What, no-” The book protested. “Brane, just jump into the sea so I can-”  
  
“…Alright.” Brane agreed, grabbing the book, shoving it and locking it in his bag. Once safely away from the sea, he stared at his former comrades. “Harty, you said-”  
  
Brane didn’t get to finish the sentence as Phoelin quickly tackled him, pinning him to the ground before he could do anything.  
  
“Brane, you son of a bitch!” Brane tasted blood in his mouth, and had stars in his eyes. Dazed from the tackle and subsequent blow, he didn’t put up a fight as they tied him up with rope. Feeling himself being dragged towards a tree, Brane gathered his wits. Unfortunately, it was too late. He was trapped.  
Nurv went over towards the younger male, fingers on his eye patch.  
  
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Nurv looked up towards the ex-hero, fingers paused right as they were about to snatch the eye patch off.  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“You wouldn’t like what you’ll see.”   
  
Phoelin let out a snort. “We already don’t like what we see, Brane.” She and Harty walked over and sat besides Nurv. “Go ahead, Nurv. We don’t have all day.”  
  
Nurv rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah.” Brane instinctively shut his eyes as the eye patch came off. Nurv frowned. “Open your eyes, Brane.” Brane shook his head.  
  
“Here, I got this.” Phoelin pulled out a dagger. Harty’s eyes widened.  
  
“Don’t!” She shrieked. Brane’s eyes snapped open and he moved his head out of the dagger’s path. His shoulders slumped. They had seen. It was too late.  
  
“Your eye is…” Nurv murmured, gently tracing the scar. “How long?” Brane turned his head away, and shrugged. He tried to, anyway. The ropes were rather tight. Maybe he should ask Nurv to loosen them, if he was willing to consider him a person, not a monster.  
  
Brane blinked as the ropes gave way. Arms were scrambling to grab him, keeping him locked in a tight embrace. “…why?”   
  
“It’s ‘cause we love you, stupid.” Harty buried her face in his chest, arms gripping tighter. “We thought you were dead for so long, and it was my fault, if I hadn’t been so cowardly-”  
  
“Not your fault, Harty.” Nurv looked towards her. “I was jealous, and I could’ve helped, but I didn’t, and now look at what happened to him.” Brane frowned, opening his mouth to speak but-  
  
“It’s my fault.” Phoelin cut Brane off. “If I hadn’t been so greedy, maybe if I cared more, then things wouldn’t have turned out the way it did.”  
  
“Um…” The three looked down towards their ex-leader. “I don’t blame you. Nobody could’ve predicted this. Besides, if anything, I was too arrogant. I thought I could take it down alone…” His hand reached up and traced his eye. “I paid the price for it.”  
  
Harty let out a teary laugh. “If we keep going like this, we’ll all be blaming ourselves.” She sniffled. “We still need to bring Brane back home.”  
  
“Could we… stay like this a little bit longer?” Brane mumbled.  
  
“Yeah, sure.” Phoelin yawned. “Besides, finding out who you are and, consequently, getting knocked out by you is straining. The only reason we managed to get here is because of helpful forest animals, and a guard caught me asleep in the castle.”  
  
“Sorry.”   
  
“Nah, don’t worry about it.”   
  
“Will you two hush?” Nurv snapped quietly. “Harty’s asleep and you’re all ruining the moment!” Brane let out a quiet laugh. Life was good.


End file.
